Disclaimer : Maid-Sama belongs to Fujiwara Hiro.


— Seductress —


Chapter one.

I know about you,
and yet you're clueless about me.

You wonder, ask and give.

I read your mind, demand and take what you hide.

You think you can protect yourself from me?
Sorry to disappoint, because I've already set my eyes on you.


"So, how are you planning to do that?"

I tear my gaze from the very pretty girl across the road, sitting on the café's patio. Curious marine eyes fixate on my face, impatiently waiting for my reply.

A contained grin spreads on my face. "As always, Aoi."

He frowns, a dip etching between his brows as he pinches his lips together. "She's a girl, Misaki. In case you didn't notice," he spits, before pulling his baseball cap lower on his eyes.

"Ah right," I sigh and slowly rise from the bush where we were hiding. "Just watch, and do your job, Aoi," I say distractedly as I smooth my clothes and lead myself to the stoplights to cross the road. I hear him curse silently as I go but I don't cut my eyes from the beautiful girl until I lose sight of her. It's a wonderful day, all sunny and warm with a touch of fresh breeze, I just can't fail this.

I weave through the crowd before my gaze finally veers on her again. She is all pure, pale and porcelain skin surrounded by long and soft waves of light blonde hair. A lenghty white sundress flows gently with the wind and the hem brushes her ankles, revealing strappy sandals. I haven't seen her face in person yet, but I can surmise that she will look more stunning and yet adorable than in the pictures. An absolute porcelain doll.

The café is slightly packed when I reach the outskirt. Few tables are unoccupied, but my real purpose is not to drink coffee right now. I am a seductress. My job is to charm people and get the evidences. I didn't think that this kind of service existed in the society until I dove right in the field.

And so far, I hold a perfect score. Without a doubt, this lady is going to fit in my success archive too.

I smoothly make my way towards her, circling around her table and slide into the chair facing her.

"Thank you for saving this seat for me," I grin, my gaze down. My hand runs through the strands of the dark short wig I wear before I look at her.

Bright emerald eyes peer up at me and I freeze.

Stunning.

She has fine features; her nose straight, neither too big or small; her lips —slightly parted with surprise— are of a rosy pink every girl should be jealous of.

"Uhhh..." she hesitates. A confused look paints her graceful visage. Of course, a total stranger —as I was to her— wasn't expected at her table. Despite it all, she still looks angelic in her shock.

I blush a little, my eyes wide with pure admiration. Partly because I'm not used of such innocent beauty, but mostly since I know it makes my high cheeks more attractive. I control my feature to look as flustered as I can. The art of deception I have perfected throughout the years certainly comes handy in this line of work.

"I forgot to mention... You... You are very lovely," I murmur as I put my ankle upon my opposite knee and relax down into the chair. My eyes linger a bit on her eyes, before trailing the long of her hair, her hands —that hold a porcelain cup to her mouth—, and eventually land on her lips.

She chuckles a little, and I can say, her voice is as delicate as she looks. She's truly perfect and I start to wonder why in hell would someone try to get rid of her. I mean, why break up with such a beauty?

She tilts her head on one side, and smiles shyly. "You look very refined, too."

I smile radiantly, because her compliment sounds very respectful and less edgy than earlier. Of course, I had intel before approaching her. I knew she came from an aristocratic family. Hence why I wore my best gentleman outfit. A crisp dress shirt, blacks slacks and a neat leathered belt. To compliment it all, I borrowed a luxurious watch from Aoi and his shiny wedding shoes.

A sign to the waiter, and he comes over with bristle steps.

"Sir, what can I order you?"

I lift my head, giving the waiter a glance —a young man— before reverting my attention back to the lady, who curiously stares at me.

"Coffee, please. Black."

I dismiss him with a nod, and tap my fingers on the table.

"So, what brings a beautiful lady here to sip tea," I give a pointed to look the cup she holds against her lips, "alone on a Sunday morning?"

Her lips curve slightly upward at my clumsy attempt to pry. "Who says I am alone, now?"

I lift an eyebrow at her answer.

Smooth.

She's unexpectedly smooth with words.

I brush my lips on my knuckles, before biting it shortly with a grin. "Do you regularly accept to drink coffee with a perfect stranger?" I ask.

"It's rare..." she voices, bringing her palm up. She lays her breathtaking eyes on the small silvery watch, adorning the inside of her wrist. "It happened once, and it was... Soon to be eleven in the morning."

My gaze wants to flick up to the timepiece fixed on the café's mural facade but I refrain myself to. It'd be too reckless and obvious. Before I could find any other alternative, I hear a heavy ring that resounds in the area. It echoes eleven times, the telltale tone of a church bell.

I chuckle, and she watches me with a silent but knowing smile. "Makes it eleven now, I guess," I laugh.

Half an hour later, I gesture to her that I have to go. But before that, I effortlessly make her give me her name —Erine— and contact info. A kiss on her fingers for a farewell and she blushes ever so imperceptibly. I still notice it though.

I rise from my seat and motion to leave, but after a step, I feel a light tug on my sleeve and look back. She's still on her chair and waves me closer.

"Missing me already?" I tease. She looks poutingly at me, before yanking me to her. The motion makes me tumble but I shift and bend down to regain my balance. She's unexpectedly bold, even though we are in a public area. That makes me feel all kind of tingly.

Her soft lips whisk my ear and when they move, a shiver runs down my spine. "Tomorrow, same hour..." she whispers, before releasing me.

I slid my hand along the backrest of her chair. It traps her against her chair when my other hand sets on the table.

"Certainly." My voice is all but an murmur against her cheek, and I leave a chaste kiss upon it. I stand back, a kind smile playing on my lips, and step away in the crowd without a look back.

The avenue is full of people as I walk down it. Far enough from the café, I spot Aoi, sitting on a bench under a tree with few other passersby. A leather bag is on his side and I grab it with a fluid motion, without anyone witnessing my move. I can see a faint grin on his face as I stride past him without us exchanging a single word or look.

I round the corner and change roads, before slipping inside of a public restroom stall. When I emerge out of it, I'm back to being myself. A cap on my head, my raven long hair flows freely in the wind. I'm now dressed with a pale gray hoodie, faded jeans and sneakers. Without wasting time, I make my way back home.

The second I open the front door, I hear water running in the bathroom. A pair of shoes is haphazardly discarded in the front door's way. Bending down to put them on the side, the door closes behind me with a secured click. I'm greeted with the usual mess that is the room Aoi and I share. Twin beds studio, clothes, wigs, photographs everywhere along with other belonging here and there. It's truly a battlefield. Running on barely few hours of sleep, I'm too tired to tidy up the room.

I spot his decent camera on his bed and taking it, I flop down on his mattress.

Pictures don't lie. The screen lights up and the beautiful women from earlier smiles back at me, her emerald eyes shining with delight at whatever I've been saying right then. Or mostly, been asking right then.

People usually only talk about themselves. They act as if they're interested in our lives, even though it's all the opposite. They want us interested in their's instead and hope we'd return the question.

I've learnt that a long time ago. It's not hard to plaster a gentle but focused smile, intent eyes and nod now and then —to give them your approbation. It's not hard, and it's what I've been doing with most of my target.

The initial flirt, and then, they'd spill their lives to me.

Unfortunately, I already knew everything about them, so I could tell when they lied.

And lies were something they often performed.

Was it their parent's occupation? Their siblings? The education and major scholarships they attended?

I found out that they'd lie about things they were ashamed of and weren't willing to admit. And I didn't understand where those uncertainties came from. Why would you say that you were studying medical sciences when you were majoring in art school?

Why would you say that your sister or brother was an athlete, when in fact, the only thing they had was a heavy illness that restrained them to the hospital?

I understood how few things could be left aside, such as the fact that your family wasn't in its best health; but why would you build up a lie that supposed all the opposite, then?

I didn't see the point.

That's how I sorted my targets into the honest and dishonest categories. By their lies.

"Did you see the pics?"

Aoi's voice pulls me out of my daydreaming state.

I get up and move to my bed because he shoo's me away with a wave of his hand. "Yeah, they're good," I affirm.

"Really? Because I was pretty much grossed out by your performance, so I dunno how they came out to be," he says, his voice muffled by the shirt he's pulling over his head.

I throw him a cushion, but he dodges it by diving down on his bed.

"It's not my first time having to seduce a woman, you know."

He turns around and face me, the cushion launched earlier cuddled against his frame. "I never saw it, though." He rolls and rests on his back. "But I guess it's less dangerous than with men, so maybe it's all the best."

His voice sounds contemplative and coated with silent regrets. Aoi's the one that suggested me to his employer. Thanks to him, I landed this job, because I had no money to attend to University and he knew I needed some. I had no idea he was actually into this kind of shady jobs, but I accepted nevertheless. We both thought I'd be taken as a photographer, just like Aoi's situation but it wasn't the case. I had to dive right into the spotlight since they needed people in this role. And thus, together, Aoi and I became some kind of duo where he would take the evidences and I'd showcase them to him. We were most of the time paired together, even though the arrangement we received sometime made us work apart of each others.

Despite all appearances, there were rules to these assignments.

They come in manila envelopes with all the data about the target. Several pictures, certificate of birth, and full basic knowledge about their occupation, families and lives. But we have nothing giving us the reason why we have to do it. They said it was to make it easier, so our feelings wouldn't be involved. Maybe they were right, I don't know. I didn't dwell on it much longer than a week or two.

Each assignments have a time limit on it, and we're supposed to complete the task before it expires. We can't stay in touch for more than 14 days with the subject; and in case the pursuit held no results or if any suspicious resistance arose, we would immediately contact the adviser for a change of tactics —they usually replaced the person in charge then.

It happened a time or two, but no big deal. They made the process go smoothly —without blame— and I never heard of it again.

Another expletive we have to follow is to change our appearances and names with each cases. We have to be secretive about it, because the more we use one appearance, the easier it is to retrace our background and whereabouts.

Luckily, Aoi is a big fan of disguises and all, so it's not much of an issue to me. And the money I make is enough to build a new identity from ashes so it's not much of a bother either.

My hands are still on Aoi's camera when I surge from my thoughts. And I get lost in the pictures he took during the encounter with Erine —the angel's name— until sleep dawns on me.

One week later, and my part of the deal is totally secured with Aoi fast behind my feet. I can imagine the camera's shutters as he snaps pictures of Erine with her arms tight around my neck, her lips only inches from mine and her eyes lovingly gazing at me. My hands rest on her waist and even though I feel like it's the end, I don't mind giving her what she's expecting me to.

I've been through so much worse —appearance-wise— that it doesn't even make me shudder to kiss a girl.

So I bend down and brush my lips against her. It's pure softness, and before she attempts anything else, I lean back and smile at her.

Her gaze is dreamy, and I can't help but find myself worried about her innocence. Hell, if it's been this easy to get to her, I hope she won't get abused later in her life. I internally shake off my affectionate feelings, because getting involved is not a smart move.

"When will I see you again?" she asks longingly.

I tuck a strand of her curled blonde hair behind her ear before replying. "That's for you to decide, dear," I smile, even though I know that she won't ever see me again. Her week-worth prince charming, named Naoru, will disappear to bubble within the next minutes.

"I will call you, then. Is that alright?"

"Of course."

And with that, she flies back home like a lovely hummingbird. As for me, I walk to the opposite direction, and pull my phone from my pocket to trash the cheap prepaid SIM card down the first public bin I see. Wordlessly, I put a new one inside.

It was nice to meet you, Erine.

This time, I stroll down the main road before diverting to a side tracked alley. I drop my dress shirt, revealing a blouse underneath, slip on a long and breezy skirt that falls right under my ankle —so I can slide off the slacks I wore— and lose my wig. I shove all the discarded items into a duffel bag that was initially folded in my pocket and make my way out to the deposit shop, a block further. The locker number 1607 opens on a classy sachel bag, ballerina flats and an ample sunhat.

Trading the duffel bag, I put my new hat and shoes on, slipping on some elegant and feminine sunglasses I found in the handbag. Several other accesories, such as a fine and delicate watchwrist, jewelries and perfume are quickly put to use. A dab of sweet-rose lipstick and I am out on the sunny road to my next target.

A charismatic bachelor, with eyes a velvet emerald even deeper than Erine's.

Usui Takumi.


Author's note:

I'm so thrilled to start another story, even though I don't have much time to update, I just don't want to lose or forget my ideas!

Hope you like this foretaste and hope to hear from you =) !